Playing poker at online sites is not the same as playing the game in a land-based casino. There are a number of obvious differences, and some not so obvious, and I am going to outline them here, along with tips on how to make the most of both settings.

Staying Safe and Secure with Online Play
The first major difference lies in getting into a game: thanks to the internet, you don’t have to get into your car and drive anywhere, and simply switching your computer on will let you take your pick from a multitude of poker rooms. You should focus, however, on ensuring that you find one that is safe, secure, licensed, and regulated, since there is no recourse in getting hold of your winnings unless you do so.

My personal preference is for the larger rooms, since these have bigger memberships, which in turn means that you will be able to more quickly find players that are on the same level, skill-wise, as you are. These poker rooms also tend to have bigger bonuses, more free rolls, and other incentives available, as well as a reputation to uphold, which means that it is very unlikely that they will betray your trust. Interestingly, 90% of online poker players use the top ten rooms!

Set Limits and Stick to Them
In the same way that you would were you looking to play real money slots, online or off, set your limits and then make sure you stick to them. Poker as it is played online is a lot quicker than the game usually is, and you will need to plan accordingly. This means that you will be able to play many more hands in a given amount of time online than you would be able to at a casino, which means that you will either have to have more money available to do so, or choose a room with a lower stake level.

Cultivate Patience and Exercise Discipline
This aspect of play is invaluable. You need to keep hold of your patience, and exercise strict discipline, which means resisting the urge to go wild and splash out on a silly bet just because no one is watching you play and you feel reckless. It also means you need to balance your gaming with other activities, and get up and go outside for awhile too!

Your approach, as ever, should be to win as much as you can when you have a good poker hand, and minimise your losses when you have a bad one. If you have adopted this attitude and find yourself getting bored, then one way to fight the urge to go crazy with a stupid bet is to open up a game at another table, and keep yourself busy with more than one game at a time.

The fact of the matter is that if you are used to playing casino-style poker you will need to modify your approach to the game, as it is played online because of the solitude and the speed. These two factors can either have you watch your funds evaporate due to the behaviours outlined here, or accumulate because you know how to work around the problems as they arise!